kifer



March 17, 1964 D. E. KIFER FLASHING CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 20, 1959 INVENTOR. DAVID E'. KIFER ATTORNEYS United States Patent Office,

3,125,357. Patented Mar. 17, 1964 Oatey Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Nov. 20, 1959, Ser. No. 854,374 3 Claims. (Cl. 285-44) This invention relates as indicated to a novel flashing construction, and more particularly to a roof flashing adapted for employment in conjunction with an upstanding pipe or the like protruding through the sloping roof of a building.

It is a common practice to conduct electric wires to buildings and particularly homes by introducing such wires into the upper end of a small diameter upstanding pipe which is attached to the outside wall of the building and protrudes through the roof some distance above the latter. With fiashings of the type commonly employed, however, there has been difliculty encountered due to whipping of the pipe in high winds, for example, tending to cause progressive enlargement of the aperture through which the pipe extends. In my Patent No. 2,904,354, dated September 15, 1959, I disclose and claim an improved roof flashing which has met with widespread commercial acceptance and which includes means mechanically gripping the upstanding pipe at a point spaced from the aperture through which the pipe protrudes whereby the pipe is firmly braced by the flashing itself and the requirement for bracing of the pipe below the eaves is much reduced. It is an important object of the present invention to provide a roof flashing which will serve a similar purpose and will actively grip a pipe or like member extend ing therethrough without, however, requiring employment of additional elements such as nuts, bolts and the like.

A further object is to provide a unitary one-piece flashing so formed that it may readily be slid down an upstanding pipe with the flashing in horizontal position and subsequently brought into parallelism with a sloping roof in a manner effective automatically to deform such flashing closely to fit the pipe and mechanically grip the same.

Another object is to provide a novel flashing which when properly mounted on a roof will grip a pipe or equivalent upstanding member extending therethrough rigidly to support such pipe and thereby prevent enlargement of the aperture through which the pipe extends and other damage to the flashing.

Still another object is to provide such flashing having a dome portion through which the upstanding pipe is adapted to extend, the flashing being formed for deformation only on the side of the dome toward the peak of the roof so that a resiliently deformably collar or sealing ring may be mounted thereover tightly gripping the pipe without interference from the deformed portion of such dome.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention then comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexed drawing setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may be employed.

In said annexed drawing:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of my new flashing construction;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation thereof as seen from the bottom in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front fragmentary sectional view illustrating the various steps employed to install my new flashing construction on an upstanding conduit passing through a roof;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the flashing construction in its inclined position; and

FIG. 5 is an elevational view illustrating my assembled flashing construction.

Referring now more particularly to such drawing and especially to FIGS. 1 and 2 thereof, it will be seen that my new flashing construction is particularly adapted for mounting on the roofs of buildings not only to seal the opening through which a vertically upstanding member such as a pipe passes, but also to brace and rigidify such member when firmly affixed to such roof. My flashing comprises a flat rectangular metal plate or base portion 1 having an upstanding central dome portion 2. The sheet 1. may include various peripheral apertures 3 to facilitate the fastening of such sheet to a roof by means of nails, screws or the like.

The dome portion 2 has a central circular aperture 4 through the apex portion thereof. The size of this aperture may be chosen to be only slightly larger than the size of the conduit or pipe over which my novel flashing construction is to be placed. Since the size of such conduits, as vent pipes and the like, will vary somewhat, it will readily be seen that the size of the dome 2 and aperture 4 may also be varied. In addition to the aperture 4, two small apertures 5 and 6 are formed on diametrically opposite sides of such larger aperture. Connecting such smaller apertures is a semi-circular slot 7 extending circumferentially parallel to the edge of the aperture 4 on one side only. It will be seen that the slot 7 terminating in the apertures 5 and 6 will produce a relatively flexible, deformable side lip portion 8 for the aperture 4. The apertures 5 and 6 terminate the slot 7 and preclude the rupturing of the dome on the deformation of the lip 8. Since the entire flashing construction may be produced from relatively thin gauge sheet metal, for example, the slot 7 and apertures 3, 4, 5 and 6 may be lanced and dome 2 formed from such sheet material in a single stamping operation.

Referring now to FIG. 3, it will be seen that the conduit C extending through the roof R, which is illustrated as a roof having an angle of approximately 30, will extend downwardly along a wall W or the like to a meter box, for example. As shown, the flashing is initially placed over the top of the conduit C with the slot 7 and lip 8 toward the peak of the roof and the plate 1 generally normal to such conduit. It is noted that in this position the conduit will readily pass through the aperture 4 since such aperture is slightly larger than the diameter of the conduit. However, if the plate 1 is inclined only slightly, the aperture 4 will be insufliciently large to pass the conduit therethrough. For this reason, only after the flashing has been placed over the conduit in the position shown at the top of FIG. 3 will the flashing be inclined to the approximate 30 position shown parallel to the roof R. This inclination of the flashing is preferably accomplished as close to the roof as possible, as for example, within 12 inches. When the flashing is forcibly so inclined the deformable portion 8 will closely grip the side of the conduit C and will be retained in the position shown. Accordingly, as the flashing is tilted, the outside edge 9 of the slot 7 will move arcuately toward the side 10 of the conduit C. In this manner, it can be seen that my flashing construction may theoretically be tilted until the outside edge 9 contacts such conduit. However, this would only be necessary on roofs of extremely steep inclinations. For this reason, the distance between the slot 7 and the aperture 4 constituting the width of the lip 8 will govern the limit of inclination. Once in the intermediate position shown in FIG. 3, my flashing construction may be forced downwardly of the conduit and firmly secured to the roof with suitable fastening means through apertures 3. In this poa sition the deformable portion 8 will firmly hold the conduit against the opposite more rigid edge or non-deformable lip portion of the aperture as shown at 11. Thus it may be seen that I have in effect provided a U-shape clamp as an integral portion of my flashing construction that will automatically grip the conduit as the flashing is inclined.

As soon as the flashing construction is properly secured to the roof, at resiliently deformable dome-shape collar 12 of the cross section indicated in FIG. 3 may be slipped over the conduit C and resiliently distended to fit snugly over the smooth dome portion 2 of my flashing construction. The neck 13 of the collar 12 is of a diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the conduit so that it must be stretched in order to fit over such conduit. In this manner, a tight fluid seal will be formed between the neck 13 and the conduit C. The skirt portion 14 of the collar is also distended firmly to grip the dome portion 2 to provide a tight fluid seal for the apertures Within the dome of my flashing construction.

It is noted that since the lip 8 moves downwardly with respect to the dome 2, that a smooth non-deformable dome-like surface is provided so that the skirt portion 14 of the collar may readily grip such dome and form a tight seal therewith. Thus even with the lip 8, the smooth nondeformable dome contour is maintained against which the skirt of the elastomeric collar will snugly fit. As shown more clearly in FIG. 4, the deformable portion 8 constitutes a U-shape fastening or gripping element firmly to clamp and hold the conduit C from within the aperture. Accordingly, no clamping element protrudes beyond the dome contour.

It can readily be understood that the more the portion 8 is deformed, the tighter will be the grip obtained on the conduit C. With this deformable portion, it will be seen that the plane of the aperture 4 remains generally normal to the conduit C and for this reason an elongated or elliptical aperture need not be provided to accommodate the conduit. Thus the aperture 4 may be made circular and closely conforming to the diameter of the conduit and yet it will be seen that my flashing may readily be inclined to conform to a wide variety of sloping roofs.

My flashing can readily and simply be produced from relatively thin gauge sheet metal in one forming operation. The symmetry of the dome and circular aperture, of course, further facilitates the manufacture thereof. The collar 12 may, for example, be molded from rubber or neoprene or any of a variety of commercially available elastomers. Accordingly, my entire flashing construction requires but two parts which may very simply and easily be manufactured.

From the foregoing, it can be seen that I have provided a novel and superior form of roof flashing which will accommodate itself to a wide variety of roof inclinations, the

more the inclination the better the grip obtained on the conduit passing therethrough. However, this gripping action is obtained by using no additional clamps or brackets. For this reason, it will be seen that my flashing construction is extremely simple to produce and install and does not require stocking a large number of parts or accessories.

Other modes of applying the principles of the invention may be employed, change being made as regards the details described, provided the features stated in any of the following claims or the equivalent of such be employed.

I, .therefore, particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. In combination, the assembly of a roof flashing and an elongated tubular member extending vertically therethrough, said roof flashing comprising a flat base portion and a generally centrally located upstanding dome portion having a circular aperture therein through which said elongated member passes, such aperture having a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of said elongated member whereby the latter may readily be passed therethrough when said flat base portion is in a plane substantially normal to said member, a lip portion adjacent such aperture formed integrally with said upstanding dome portion and deformed downwardly within the latter by engagement with said vertical elongated member when said flashing is inclined axially relative to the latter with said deformable lip portion being disposed to the upper side, said flashing being thus inclined and caused firmly to grip said vertical elongated member inwardly only of said dome portion to support said conduit when said flashing is mounted on a correspondingly inclined roof.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 including a sealing member of resiliently deformable material having a skirt portion closely fitting the contour of said dome portion and having a central aperture therein of a diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of said conduit and closely gripping the same.

3. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said lip portion adjacent such aperture is formed by a semicircular slot through said dome portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 580,515 Weeden Apr. 13, 1897 1,594,932 Doyle Aug. 3, 1926 1,805,110 Schaller May 12, 1931 1,844,870 Helling Feb. 9, 1932 2,191,689 Tinnerman Feb. 27, 1940 2,319,678 Hall May 18, 1943 2,904,354 Kifer Sept. 15, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 609,870 Great Britain Oct. 7, 1948 

1. IN COMBINATION, THE ASSEMBLY OF A ROOF FLASHING AND AN ELONGATED TUBULAR MEMBER EXTENDING VERTICALLY THERETHROUGH, SAID ROOF FLASHING COMPRISING A FLAT BASE PORTION AND A GENERALLY CENTRALLY LOCATED UPSTANDING DOME PORTION HAVING A CIRCULAR APERTURE THEREIN THROUGH WHICH SAID ELONGATED MEMBER PASSES, SUCH APERTURE HAVING A DIAMETER SLIGHTLY GREATER THAN THE DIAMETER OF SAID ELONGATED MEMBER WHEREBY THE LATTER MAY READILY BE PASSED THERETHROUGH WHEN SAID FLAT BASE PORTION IS IN A PLANE SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TO SAID MEMBER, A LIP PORTION ADJACENT SUCH APERTURE FORMED INTEGRALLY WITH SAID UPSTANDING DOME PORTION AND DEFORMED DOWNWARDLY WITHIN THE LATTER BY ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID VERTICAL ELONGATED MEMBER WHEN SAID FLASHING IS INCLINED AXIALLY RELATIVE TO THE LATTER WITH SAID DEFORMABLE LIP PORTION BEING DISPOSED TO THE UPPER SIDE, SAID FLASHING BEING THUS INCLINED AND CAUSED FIRMLY TO GRIP SAID VERTICAL ELONGATED MEMBER INWARDLY ONLY OF SAID DOME PORTION TO SUPPORT SAID CONDUIT WHEN SAID FLASHING IS MOUNTED ON A CORRESPONDINGLY INCLINED ROOF. 